Kidnap in B'baria: Girl's presence of mind saves her, 3 others

A little girl's courage and quick thinking saved four girls including her from kidnappers yesterday.

Fourth grader Lima Akter and three other girls of her school were being taken away by a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, when the girl jumped off the speeding vehicle, prompting bystanders to intercept the kidnappers.

The 10-year-old, critically injured by the fall, was sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

People, who stopped the three-wheeler and caught three suspected kidnappers, beat them up and handed them over to police.

The girls were going to Ghatiara Government Primary School around 11:00am on foot when the suspects including a woman forced them into the vehicle and started driving down Dhaka-Agartala road, said the girls' family members, witnesses and police.

At one point, Lima jumped off the vehicle and fell into a ditch in Ghatiara area.

People a few hundred yards away noticed the incident and blocked the road forcing the auto-rickshaw to stop.

They then took the injured girl to a local hospital.

Hearing the news, police rushed to the scene and detained the suspects, Hiron Mia, 22, Tamanna Akter, 20, and auto-rickshaw driver Sharif Khan, 21.

Three of the girls, who were unhurt, were handed to their parents.

A physician at Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital Nazmul Hoque, said Lima was critically injured and sent to DMCH for better treatment.

Nabir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Brahmanbaria Sadar Model Police Station, said they would file a case accusing the suspects.

District Primary Education Officer Subrata Kumar Banik, said the administration had taken responsibility of Lima's treatment.